title: PCR detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in goat flocks in an area endemic for tick-borne fever in Switzerland.
abstract: Central Switzerland is a highly endemic region for tick-borne fever (TBF) in cattle, however, little is known about A. phagocytophilum in goats. In the present study, 72 animals from six goat flocks (373 EDTA blood-samples) in Central Switzerland were analysed for A. phagocytophilum DNA. A real-time PCR targeting the msp2 gene of A. phagocytophilum was performed and in positive samples the partial 165 rRNA, groEL and msp4 gene were amplified for sequence analysis. Four DNA extracts were positive. Different sequence types on basis of the amplified genes were found. For comparison, sequences of A. phagocytophilum from 12 cattle (originating from Switzerland and Southern Germany) were analysed. The 165 rRNA gene sequences from cattle were all identical amongst each other, but the groEL and msp4 gene differed depending on the origin of the cattle samples and differed from the variants from goats. This study clearly provides molecular evidence for the presence of different types of A. phagocytophilum in goat flocks in Switzerland, a fact which deserves more thorough attention in clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Leopoldstr. 5, 80802 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silaghi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Scheuerle
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Friche Passos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pfister
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012621:Seasons; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C085498:Msp4 protein, Anaplasma marginale; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S